When I was a young boy in 2005, I never imagined that one day I’d get to experience the Singapore Grand Prix on a Budget. Back then, Cable TV was huge, and I was glued to Disney, Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon—until one random day I stumbled onto Star Sports and discovered Formula 1. That moment turned me into an F1 fan for life, even though watching a race in person felt impossible because my family couldn’t travel abroad.
At that age, I never thought watching Formula 1 in person would be so expensive. My parents couldn’t even take us abroad for family trips, so watching a race felt impossible.
Fast-forward to 2024, having a stable job that helps me pay the bills, and good travel experience under my belt, I finally decided to fulfill one item on my travel wishlist: watch Formula 1 live!
Planning the F1 Experience A Year In Advance
I wanted to do the Singapore GP on a budget, so I started planning early. The Singapore GP is one of the most expensive races in the F1 calendar. (#1 on the list is Monaco), but early planning helps.
I grabbed the cheapest Zone 4 Walkabout tickets for $388 in Singapore Dollars (US$350) a year before the race. I also booked my flight to Singapore at the same time which I got for just US$24 via Cebu Pacific (PhP1,400). This early bird combo helped keep my Singapore GP on a budget plan realistic.
(P.S. cheapest 3-day tickets for Singapore GP 2024 are now priced starting S$548! (US$422)
My only goal was honestly to see the race. No artist announcements yet. I also booked a hostel room at River City Inn for US$24 per day for October 3-7.
Fast Forward to October
Between booking and the actual trip, everything escalated:
- I flew to Japan and even passed by Suzuka a week before the Japan GP.
- The performers were announced (CL was one of them).
- I ended up booking Bali after failing to upgrade my F1 tickets.
By October, my long-time dream was becoming real.
Day 1: Meeting a F1 Champion
My red-eye flight arrived at Changi T4 around midnight. I slept near the bus transfer area until the MRT opened. T4 isn’t connected directly to the MRT, so there’s a free shuttle to T2.
River City Inn at Clarke Quay was my home for the trip. It’s simple and budget-friendly—exactly the kind of place you’d stay in for a Singapore Grand Prix on a Budget itinerary.
I headed to Marina Square for a Williams Fan Zone event featuring the 2009 F1 World Champion Jenson Button. No way was I missing that. He debuted with Williams in 2000, during the BMW engine era.
I passed through Suntec City for lunch (and F1 merch browsing) before finally reaching the fan zone. Got lost, as usual, but eventually made it.
Williams had affordable merch, race simulators, raffles, and even a Komatsu machinery simulator. Pretty solid fan experience.
Arrival at Marina Bay Circuit + Seeing K-pop Royalty
After the event, I went to a café to finish some schoolwork before heading to the circuit. CL was performing that night, and since she’s the leader of 2NE1, I was hyped.
I met two Indonesian girls on the train and went with them to the Zone 4 entrance near City Hall. Bag checks delayed me slightly, so we ran to catch the performance—and made it just in time.
CL performed her solos including "The Baddest Female", 2NE1 hits such as "I Am The Best", "Fire" and closed with "Hello Bitches". The crowd went wild. Second-gen K-pop hits always hit hard, and she carried the entire set.
Food Options and Free Practice
Food inside the circuit is expensive. A Jollibee Chickenjoy meal was S$14, and most meals reached around S$25 with drinks. Water was S$4. Alcohol was S$14–16. I didn’t bother with drinks.
I watched Free Practice mostly from the Padang Stage screens. There was a small area where I could see cars pass by, but the view was tight. At that moment, I hadn’t mastered where the best viewing spots were. My phone camera wasn’t flagship-level, so my shots were average.
K-pop Entertainment Part 2 featuring G-DRAGON
Day 1’s main act was G-Dragon. The crowd was massive, difficult to move through, and my phone storage was almost full, but I still got a few clips. The turnout was insane.
Singapore GP seems to love YG Entertainment—last year they had Babymonster.
Thoughts from Day 1
- Always find a great viewing spot. That’s what your ticket is for.
- Zone 4 is perfect if you're into concerts.
- Even though I mostly follow SM groups, I love 2NE1 too. It would’ve been iconic if all four performed, but Park Bom is unwell at the moment.
- Girls’ Generation should totally reunite and perform at an F1 race again. Malaysia GP 2015 was legendary.
- The Williams FW47 looks incredible in blue.
- Doing the Singapore Grand Prix on a Budget is possible if you plan early and prioritize what matters.
Check out my day 2 and 3 of my F1 race experience on my next blog posts!